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In the earlier days, bullies were hanging out in the schoolyard. After school, they might even stand outside your front door. But since the onset of the Internet, cyberbullying is also increasing. So, now you have to make sure that your child is safe in school and even on the Internet.
However, the bad news is that almost all children are affected by some sort of bullying in their pre-teens or teens. The good part is that you can teach your children how to stay away from cyberbullying, how to prevent it from happening, and how to handle it if it ever happens.
How to stop cyberbullying
Think carefully and know your child
You need to think twice before you decide to give your kid a smartphone. You need to be sure if your child is ready to use the phone as a responsible person. If yes, only then you should be handing it to them. Now, age does play a role here, but if your child is a teen, there is no proper rule about the right time. The maturity level differs from child to child, and you need to make the final call accordingly.
If you feel that your kid isn’t ready to handle it, wait until you feel they are. They should be mature enough to talk to people on the Internet respectfully, and whenever they face a problem, they should come to you to openly discuss it. Furthermore, they should be smart enough to keep their personal data confidential.
Know how social media apps work
There is no need to be a geek or tech-savvy here, but it is critical to know how these messaging apps work. You also need to know that if your child feels that they need to explain the functioning of the app they use, they are less likely to tell you about a problem they encounter on it.
All you need to be familiar with the app is a little research and some practical experience by using it. You can search it on Google to know the working of a particular app, and you will get various articles that will help you. For practical experience, you can download the app and use it for a while.
Understand how cyberbullying works
The creativity in cyberbullying increases year by year, so practically, there is no way we can predict their exact tactic. Thus, it is essential to understand how cyberbullying works.
Bullies may post violent and unflattering content on the Internet. The posts can be embarrassing or even fake. Most of the time, they intend to make fun of a person. After that, other children share the material on social media, which intensifies the bullying.
Bullies can also set up fake accounts to make fun of someone. Similarly, they can set up fake accounts to act like a victim and post unflattering photos. So, there are no restrictions on what all a cyberbully can think. All in all, parents need to understand how these apps work. If you do, you will be able to save your child from it and even prevent it from happening.
Talk to your children.
Clear communication plays a highly crucial role here. You need to talk to your children and make sure that they know how to identify a cyberbully and what to do if they encounter one. You can teach them by showing them the existing examples on the Internet or other references. If you want to be the ideal role model, you need to set a good example by keeping the perfect time limits on your screen time and phone usage.
You can help your children protect themselves from cyberbullying by reminding them to keep their personal data confidential. You should discuss and work with them to set the rules regarding online behavior. Not only that, but you should also limit their total screen time. They should be freely able to talk to you about the content they post, the apps and websites they use, and the people they talk to on the Internet.
How do parental control apps protect your child from cyberbullying?
You need to ensure that you go by all these steps to maximize your child’s online safety. However, for digging the last nail in the coffin, a parental control tool will always come in handy. Furthermore, it is the most accurate and effective method to keep your child safe on the Internet.
Most parental control apps have different features, but they commonly keep your child’s data safe, don’t let them access unsuitable sites, and alert you if something is wrong. However, Avosmart is one such parental control tool that will be your best friend during these times. It will ideally help you keep a watch on your child’s online activities and keep them safe.
Avosmart
It is software that will help you keep your child entirely safe on the Internet. With Avosmart, you can easily keep tabs on their activities on the Internet. You can block websites and apps that have unsuitable content. You can also set time limits on games and apps if you think your child spends too much time on them. Furthermore, Avosmart will provide you with insights into their activities from time to time. All in all, it is a tool that ensures complete online safety.